OJAI VALLEY TENNIS TOURNAMENT : USC’s Tullberg Falls in Opening Match : Tennis: Three-time champion, slowed by painful foot problems, is swept by Cal’s Emilie Viqueira.

For several years, USC’s Julie Tullberg was the queen of the courts at the Ojai Valley tennis tournament.

But Thursday’s first-round play found her struggling to regain the form that once allowed Tullberg to win a national junior championship and All-American honors in her freshman season.

Tullberg, of Ojai, was beaten by Cal’s Emilie Viqueira, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round of the Pacific-10 women’s singles. That marked a quick exit for a local favorite who has already won three titles at Ojai.

“I’ve had a tough season,” said Tullberg, who is still slowed by surgery on both feet that was performed two years ago. “I’m just trying to get my game back to where it was before the surgery.

“Actually, it’s all mental now. It’s just hard to get back that mental toughness when you are out so long.”

Tullberg had surgery in March of 1989 to correct a condition called “hammer toes,” which had forced her to play for several years in great pain.

The surgery on her left foot was successful and she returned to action for her sophomore campaign at USC last season.

But Tullberg said she still is troubled by some pain in the right foot and will likely undergo another corrective operation this summer.

“I don’t want to use that as an excuse for losing, but yes, it still hurts,” Tullberg said.

Tullberg also is trying to change her game, switching from a baseline player to a serve-and-volley player.

At times, she was successful with that approach Thursday, but she still appeared uncomfortable with the new style.

Most of the favored players from the Valley area held their own as this massive tournament--with 34 divisions and 1,700 entries--began at numerous sites in the Ojai area.

Top-seeded Lisa and Michelle Richard of Simi Valley won their initial match in the girls’ 18-and-under doubles competition by crushing Kija Kummer and Regina Won of Pacific Palisades, 6-0, 6-1.

The Richard sisters will face No. 2-ranked Molly White of Camarillo and Amelia White of Santa Barbara (no relation) in Saturday’s final. White and White got off to a strong start Thursday with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Courtney Lennard and Elena Lupu of Pacific Palisades.

Twins Mike and Bob Bryan of Camarillo are seeded one-two in the boys’ 14 singles, and both advanced with first-round wins.

Mike Bryan stopped Tyler Stonebreaker of Corona del Mar, 6-0, 6-1, while brother Bob was outlasting Jason Cook of West Hills, 7-5, 6-2.